Adjustable spring assembly for baby jumpers and the like



Dec. 16, 1941,. R. R. SPRINGER y 2,266,092

ADJUSTABLE SPRING ASSEMBLY FOR JUMPERS ANDA THE4 `LIKE .Filed Feb. 12,` 1940 lull lobertpryen @y/am@ ATTORN EYS wrrNsss v Patented Dec. 16, 1941 ADJUSTABLE SPRING ASSEMBLY FOR BABY JUMPERS AND VTHE, LIKE Robert R. Springer, Harrison, Ark., assigner of one-half to G. L. McAlister, Harrison, Ark.

Application February 12, 1940, Serial No. 318,620

2 Claims.

This invention relates to suspension spring assemblies and more particularly to an adjustable spring mounting for supporting the seat or body of a baby jumper, other seat, amusement or exercising device, and the like, the prime object being to provide a simple yet practical and efficient suspension spring which is adjustable in its own mounting upon a support at one end and having provision at its free end portion for the adjustable mounting thereon of a seat or load carrier, whereby to support bodies of different weights and also to accommodate the spring to different normal elevations of the seat or load carrier and to take care of variation in the sweep of the seat or load carrier under load thereon.

With the foregoing land other objects and advantages to be attained, as will hereinafter more fully appear, the invention consists in the novel general structure and in the particular parts and combinations and arrangements of parts hereof as hereinafter described and set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing illustrating a practical adaptation of the invention, in which,

Figure 1 is a'perspective view of a springsupported seat or baby jumper equipped with adjusting means in accordance with the invention; o

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structure illustrated in Figure 1; Y

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarge scale, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating details of the mounting of the spring element upon Yits supporting standards;

Figure 4 is a section taken on or about the line 4 4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating details of the adjustable mounting for the seat or load carrier on the spring element;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a top view of a rear portion of the seat frame and the upper end of the supporting spring, illustrating the means connecting these elements.

Referring now in detail to the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, the numera1 I designates a base which may be in the general form of a fiat plate, as shown, or of vany other desirable or conventional formation. Extending upwardly from the base I, near one end thereof, are side frames or standards 2 which are obviously secured rigidly to the base in any approved manner either by separate fastening means or integral formation therewith. Mounted on the standards 2, by means to be presently more fully described, is a suspension spring 3, on the free end portion of which is adjustably mounted a seat 4 which, of itself, may be of any desirable or conventional construction and arrangement. As shown, the seat comprises a bail-like rectangular frame 5, the opposite end portions 6 of which are formed integrally with or rigidly secured to axially apertured circular disks 1, the disks being provided on their inner faces with annular series of radial serrations. Formed integrally with the opposite side members of the bail-like frame 5 is anrupstanding back frame 8, the seat being completed by a body sheet of flexible fabric, the forward marginal portion 9 of which `is folded about and secured to the front transverse member of the frame 5 while the rear marginal portion I0 of the sheetv is folded about and secured to the transverse member of the back frame 8.

In addition tothe toothed disks 'I of the seat frame 5, the means for attaching the seat to o the spring element k3 includes a cylindricalhub II having axiallyl apertured heads I2 at its opposite ends which are annularly flanged, as at I3, and provided on their'outer faces with annular series of radial serrations whichv are formed 'as counterparts of the serrations on the inner faces of said disks lofy the seat frame 5.

In the vassembled relation of the hub II betweenrthe disks 1 of the seat frame 5 the axial apertures of the Ydisks andthe heads I2 of the hub are in alinement so that a combined pivot and tie bolt I4, having a head I5, is inserted through said apertures and provided on its projected screw-threaded opposite end portion, outside the adjacent disk l, with a nut IB having a handle extension I 'I by which the nut is readily turned up tight against the disk I and loosened therefrom, at will.

As shown, the adjacent end portion I8 of the spring element 3 is rolled about the cylindrical body portion of the hub II and fastened thereto by screw elements I9, preferably a pair thereof (see Figures 1 and 7). By the construction and arrangement thus far described, the seat frame 5 may be adjusted in angular relation to the spring element 3, about the axis of the combined pivot and tie bolt I4, by loosening the nut I6 on the bolt and moving the nut away from the adjacent disk 'I a distance corresponding to the depth of the serrations on the disks 'I and nanged head portions I3 of the hub, so that the disks may be rotated relative to the hub to effect the desired adjustment of the seat frame, after which the nut i6 is again tightened to lock the disks to the flanged heads of the hub.

The mounting of the spring element 3 on the supporting side frames or standards 2 is similar to the provided mounting for the seat on the spring element. That is to say, the side frames or standards 2 are provided at their upper ends with circular heads 2i) which are axially apertured and provided on their inner faces withy annular series of serrations similar to those on the disks 1 of the seat frame 5. The spring element 3, which is preferably formed spirally,Y

as at 2|, has its end portion 22 secured tothe circumference of a cylindrical hub member 23 by screw elements 24, preferably 'a` pair thereof'as with the attachment of the free end of the spring element to the seat-supporting hub I l The `spring-carrying hub 23 is provided, like the hub H, with apertured heads 25 having peripheral anges 26 provided on their outer faces with annular series of serrations to engage the serrated inner face portions of thecircular heads 2t of the side frames or standards 2. A combined pivot and tie bolt 21 isvprovided similarly to the aforesaid bolt I4 and having thereon a locking nut 28 provided with a manipulating handle 29,

by which provision thespring element 3 may be adjusted on the side frames or standards 2 by Y loosening the nut 28 and moving the spring and the attached hub member in the winding or unwinding direction of the spiral 2|,V as the case may be, when it is desired to set the free end portion of the spring -elementrat a normal higher or lower elevation relative'to thev baseA l'to thereby` compensate for differencesin theweight of the load to be imposed upon the spring and also in accordance with the sweep of the seat or load carrier 4 which is mounted on the spring element. 1n this connection it is noted that while the side frames or standards 2 are rigid in their mounting upon or attachment to the base l and more so when the circular head portions 20 thereof are tied to the adjacent end portions of the hub 23, there is sufficient inherent resiliency in or give to said side frames or standards 2 when untied permitting ample spread thereof so that the hub may be rotated in its adjustment about the pivot or tie bolt 21, the relativity of the inclined faces of the serrations of the circular portions 20 of the frames or standards 2 and theanges 25 of the hub providing a camming eiect which facilitates the spreading of the parts 20 from the parts 26 by the forcible turning of the hub 23 and using the spring element 3 as a lever.

From the foregoing it is apparent that a simple, practical and efficient support and adjustment is provided for the suspension spring itself as well as the seat or load carrier thereon, the adjustment being readily and conveniently effected at the will of the operator.

What is claimed is:

l. In a baby jumper or like resilient utility, a supporting base having a pair of rigid upright standards, said standards having opposed, integral, axially apertured, circular upper portions provided with annular series of radial serrations 'on their inner faces and surrounding the axial apertures therein, a hollow hub member interposed between the circular upper portions of said standards and formed with integral, flanged, circular heads at its opposite ends, axially apertured and provided with counterpart serrations on their outer faces for intertting engagement with the serrations of said circular standard portions, a tie bolt extended through the axial apertures of said circular standard portions and the apertures in the hub member heads alined therewith, said bolt having a retaining head at one end to abut the adjacent outer face of one of said circular standard portions, a longitudinally adjustable retaining element on the opposite end portion of the bolt to impinge the adjacent outer face of the contiguous other circularstandard portion for releasably tying and effecting the locking of said circular standard portions to the interposed hub member, an elongated leaf-type spring mounted at one end with fixed attachment on said hub member and having a similar hub member likewise attached to its free opposite end portion, and a load carrier including a1 supporting frame provided at one side with an opposed pair of axially apertured, integral, circular portions respectively abutting the opposite ends of said lastnamed hub member and being bolted thereto in the same manner as in the mounting of the spring on said standards.

. 2. The structure asset forthin claim vJ, and, further, more specifically describing the load carrier supporting frame as provided with an upward extension adjacent its side which is attached to the spring, and a exible seat element attached at one end to the forward portion ofthe load carrier supporting frame and at its Vopposite end to said upward extension of Vthe frame.

ROBERT R. SPRINGER. 

